Stan Wawrinka recovered from a set down to defeat Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, in a two-and-a-half-hour marathon at the Brisbane International.
The second seed struggled to pull away from his 21-year-old opponent throughout the match, but utilized his experience in the key moments. Edmund had 13 chances to break the three-time grand slam champion, but only managed to capitalize on two occasions. On the other hand, Wawrinka posted a slightly higher rate of four out of ten.
“It was a great battle today. It was a tough match,” said Wawrinka.
“I found a solution today, was not easy, but I think I’ve improved my game and I am playing better and better.” He added.
Praising the Brit shortly after his win, Wawrinka admitted he was outplayed in the opening set due to Edmund’s aggressive start. Nevertheless, he was able to find a way to turn the match proceedings around in his favor.
“The first set he (Edmund) was the aggressive player. He was playing a little bit faster than me, taking the ball early and it was not easy for me to find my game.” He said.
“I was able to dictate a little bit more in the second (and third). That made the difference in the score.”
Reaching the Brisbane semifinals on his debut, Wawrinka will play Japan’s Kei Nishikori next. The fifth seed blasted his way past Australia’s Jordan Thompson 6-1, 6-1, in just over an hour. Nishikori enjoyed an almost faultless service performance in the encounter, winning 95% of his first serves and dropping only five points behind his second. He also managed to convert five out of his eight break point opportunities.
#Nishikori: “For me it was the best I’ve played so far at #BrisbaneTennis. Everything was working well.” pic.twitter.com/ZOZI8efhCB
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 6, 2017
The upcoming semifinal will be the eighth meeting on the tour between Wawrinka and Nishikori, with the Japanese player leading their rivalry 4-3.
“We played each other a few times already last few months, so it’s going to be interesting to see,” Wawrinka said.
“We practised here this week. I’m sure it’s going to be a good match.”
This week Wawrinka is bidding to win his first title in Australian since his triumph at the 2014 Melbourne major. Meanwhile Nishikori is aiming to win a title in the country for the first time.
